Sunday, July 10, 2011

Horseradish Infused Vodka

One of my new favorite things to do is to infuse liquors. Some of my favorites are Basil-Infused Gin, Limoncello, Orangecello and now Horseradish Vodka! My Dad grew a hot batch of horseradish this winter and I have been trying to come up with creative ways to use it! With a suggestion from my friend Jay,I decided to infuse vodka with horseradish.

I have to admit, I was scared of this project, because earlier in the day I grated some horseradish for another recipe and man, does it clean out your sinuses!

Above is the horseradish root, it looks a lot like ginger root, but a little woodier. Once the outer skin is peeled, the root breaks down and mustard oil is secreted, giving horseradish the the kick that it is known for. Its an interesting kind of heat, not like peppers, it hits the sinuses and is really enjoyable! I like it on meat in Bloody Mary's!

*Peel outer skin of horseradish to expose the white flesh. Peel horseradish and place in a glass jar or bottle that has a tight seal. (I purchased my jars at World Market HERE.)

* Crush 1/2 of the peppercorns and place in jar along with vodka.

*Seal jar and place in a dark, dry place, (kitchen cabinet) for 3 hrs.

The NY Times suggests to let it infuse for 24 hrs but I checked up on it after 3 hrs and this is what it looked like:

This batch was good after only 3 hrs! I tried the vodka in two of my favorite cocktails and was surprised with the results. I first made a dirty martini with horseradish infused vodka and olive juice and the horseradish was waaaaaaay to strong! I advise you to not make this cocktail! My second was a Bloody Mary and OMG it was the the best Bloody Mary I have ever made and is right up there with the Louise's West Bloody Mary

Barnes' Bloody Mary

Tomato Juice

1.5 oz horseradish vodka

Seasoning salt

Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco

2 Green olives

1 Stalk of celery or Dil Pickle

I typically eyeball my Bloody Mary's so next time I make one, I will jot down the measurements and post them!